SEGMENTIA – interview

Interview with drummer Jere from Finnish pop-metal act Segmentia, a relatively freshly established band – first release is from 2019, but is already skilled at putting together intense symphonic sounds, melancholic riffs and pop beats. We get to find out a bit more about their musical style and inspiration and plans for the future

Introduce your band, and describe your latest release:

Segmentia delivers pop metal from the north! There are four of us: Arttu plays the guitar, Matti plays bass and does backing vocals, Kansana is the vocalist and I, Jere, play the drums. Our latest release is a single called “Save Me” from our upcoming EP (Alone). Save Me is a good example of Segmentia’s music. In the song you can find pop, electric and symphonic elements mixed to metal music. The story behind the song is a cry for help, when a strong person finally breaks down.

What’s the hardest part about being a band in this day and age?

As a band member you have to master your instrument and live performance, of course, but nowadays this is not nearly enough. You need to do a lot of work and be present, like in social media. So, you need to collect different kind of skills and find a Lot of time to do everything you need to do, if you want to get anywhere with the band! Luckily, we have f.e. Graphic design and sound engineering skills in the band. That is super helpful.

When did you realise that your project had the potential to be much more than just a fun idea?

I most likely decided that rather than realized it at the moment when we decided to start making our own original music. Music is what I want to do for living and it is also a way to live.

Tell us about your latest release, why should we check it out?

As I mentioned, the single “Save Me” is a good example from our music in general. The mood in the song is quite desperate, yet there is a feeling of empowerment in it. Kansana asked her fellow students to make a music video for this song and you can find it from YouTube (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZXjPIiqR2sA). In this video Kansana is unleashed and she gets to express difficult feelings in it, like despair and rage.

How does a song typically come together for you?

Some of the songs are made in one night, some of them seem to need even years to come together. Usually, I have a melody, or a riff and I start my writing from there. Next, I write the drums, bass, and piano for it. I often have an idea of guitars at this point. The lyrics come together in the process.

How would you describe your sound to an unfamiliar reader? What do you want listeners to take away from listening to your band?

Segmentia is mixing pop, electric, and symphonic elements to metal music. Stories behind the songs are observations and feelings of a being in this universe and all of its dimensions. People can often identify themselves in our songs and we hope that they can share the dreamy flow with us through our music.

Where would you really like to tour that you haven’t done so yet, and why?

We are still a small band and yet have only played in Finland, so we are eager to get abroad as soon as possible! The whole world is an interesting place to play music.

How would you say that the sound of your band has progressed over the years?

It has become more recognizable. I have invented the “7gment sound” and it appears in every song. Also, I think that we’ve managed to find our own voice more and more during this journey.

How excited are you for 2023, and what can fans expect from you?

We are releasing our second EP “Alone” in January, so we are quite excited about that! We have a few shows booked in early year (in Finland) and we are also getting to work with our debut album. One can say that we are taking a bit darker road with our new songs.